Just thought the GL members would get a kick out of this. JoeJoe is a lot smarter then I give her credit for. Today while returning JoeJoe in her cage using her special cozy sack I put her down on one end of the cage furthest from her hayrack. I was amazed at what I witnessed; she immediatly started talking to herself (happily) and began to move the cozy sack by rolling it with her body in the cozy; she would roll the cozy a couple of times then poke her head out ( I think to see how much further she had to go to get to her hayrack), put her head back in and then start chattering away and rolling. She continued this process until she was near her hayrack. The only problem is she was not facing the hayrack, so she huffed a couple of times and poked her head out of the cozy and then somehow got herself positioned facing the hayrack so all she had to do is poke her head out to grab some hay.
Now she just didn't do this once she did this everytime I returned her to her cage on the one side furthest from her hayrack. I must note that I get her out at least 3 times a day as I will not let her sit in the cage for long periods of time (no matter how much she protests). I have always returned her to the cage on the one end which is farthest from the hayrack and she would simply get out of the cozy and walk to the other end to happily eat the hay but I guess today was the exception!
Please note that she does not roll her body; she somehow scoots her body to make the cozy move. I think I have just been outsmarted by a smart pig!

My dad can't stand "those rodents" or "things" and we have discussions about how smart or not smart they are. I have to remind him that they are not "things" or I tell him "those rodents" have names and that they are capable of learning certain kinds of behavior. I tell him they have me trained very well and that his dislike for my pigs is mutual; my girls will burr at him and chatter their teeth at him-even the sound of his voice gets them going. I tell him that to me they are more then rodents; they have helped me with my post traumatic stress disorder and has even helped a little girl who has a life threatening health disease, deal with her illness; I will write about her in another thread as I am getting off topic.
JoeJoe continues to amaze me everyday, but today she is all tired out from her exercise last night. She is one smart pig!

I find it thrilling to see someone also obsessed with their piggie! Jojo sounds like a unique resourceful pig. I wonder if she enjoys butting balls too?
I find all piggies to be smart in their own way. I think harvey is smart out of sheer fussiness. He likes his pigloo a certain way. He will move and flip his teddy to his liking and eveb drags his tunnel to the perfect spot.
the first time I gave him a ball he butted it back to me. I thought he was playing and set it back in. I was rewarded with an unhppy grumble. He likes what he likes.
Try and get a video of jojo next time!

About 15 years ago I had two Peruvians. Olivia was kind of dumb-ish, but stubborn, opinionated and I adored her as much as she adored me.

Mia... freaking brilliant. Headstrong, and thought I was merely okay and tolerated me.

She knew what she was allowed to do and not allowed to do. All I had to do was say her name (during free-range time), and if I heard her wailing, I knew I had busted her. Sometimes it was her eating the couch etc. But if there wasn't a response, it was okay.

She also figured out how to lift the foamcore barrier of their pen. She would hold it up and let Olivia out first, then follow. When she wanted back in the pen, she would scream for me. One day I decided to see what she would do, since it was much more difficult to get in, than out because of how the barrier rested on the floor.

I watched her walk around the pen two times, assessing it for a weak spot, then choose one. She got the barrier up and screamed for Olivia to go in. Eventually, Olivia came out from under the couch and by that time, Mia was livid because she was holding up the barrier.

Here's the part that was almost spooky. I woke up from a nap to see Mia & Olivia by the barrier. Mia was lifting it and dropping it, then looking at Olivia. Finally, Olivia gave it a try, and failed. Mia showed her again. Olivia failed again. 3rd time was the charm. Olivia finally did it and was very pleased with herself. Mia broke back in for the two of them.

the next day, Olivia had forgotten how to lift the barrier. Mia showed her two more times, and finally Olivia did it.

3rd day, same thing. Olivia forgot how to lift the barrier, and the look of pure disgust on Mia's face... She gave up on Olivia and from that moment onwards, Mia lifted the barrier.

A couple of years later, Olivia was ill for months and had mobility issues, and wasn't running around. When Olivia couldn't leave the pen, Mia refused to leave the pen too. If I put her out for a run, she would immediately break back in. Finally, Olivia died, and only then did Mia go out for a run.

Yes I will get it on You-tube sometime!
Kylo- JoeJoe doesn't have any interest in balls, or stuffed animals which suprises me. I recently put a empty kleenex box in the cage with hay in it, well JoeJoe had other plans with the Kleenex box; she moved it around and then decided to get into the kleenex box and push the hay out onto the floor and promptly pee in the box, huff a couple of times and then walk away from the box.
She also continues to outsmart me with introducing new veggies to her usual green/red leaf lettuce and green pepper dinner. I have tried everything to introduce carrots; I have sliced them thin, minced them and peeled them using the veggie peeler. Well no matter how hard I try to get her to eat or at least try the carrot she lets me know she will have none of it. I put the plate down, she looks at it and if she puts (or finds) a tiny piece of carrot she goes nuts. She first will give me the stink eye, then she will chatter her teeth at me, (and if I happen not to be in the room she screams at the top of her little Abby lungs) and she will stomp her back feet. She will also throw the pieces of carrots out of her cage.
This behavior reminds me of two things: 1) doesn't it sound like she is having a major "melt-down" or a toddler having a "temper-tantrum". 2) Never, ever give JoeJoe carrots again
So so far the score is Carrie: 0 JoeJoe:2
My Bean (skittish rescue pig) is seperated due to JoeJoe's inability to get along (blood was drawn); well apparently JoeJoe has been teaching Bean this "temper-tantrum" behavior..UGH Bad Pigs!

I like tempermental pigs! They are so entertaining. Harvey stays in my room and if i'm too noisy while he's napping he grumbles at me. And if I sleep past breakfast he's up at the cage door screeching like an alarm clock. He doesn't relent until I I get out of bed and leave the room for his lordships veggies. I feel like the cook and cleaner!
Maybe your constant interaction with your piggies helps to encourage their curiosity and intelligence. Your piggies sound so fascinating. And sweet. Aww Olivia! That'd sad. :(
I like to think harvey is smart, but then he runs face first into the cage wall or falls face first off his tunnel. (it's not high) and I can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness.

If anyone would like to move this to the chronical page, please do! I think then I can continue with the Adventures of JoeJoe and Bean. They are such characters and I never knew they can be so much fun to watch.
Late last night I got JoeJoe out of the cage (without the cozy) and she screams like I am killing her (such a drama queen) but she soon calmed down once I had her settled on my chest. Well I guess she did not like the whole "get out of the cage" experience because she put her butt right in my face and kept scooting her behind until her butt was on my face. Well I tried to scoot her butt down and of course I got met with her Abb-tude; she immediatly started sqealing at the top of her lungs and pounded her back feet on my face. I didn't think her Abby-tude was going to escalate to the point that it did but her attitude got worse. She turned herself around so that her head is facing me (lucky for me she wasn't in my face) chattering at me and then she chased my arm and hand with her head and promtly with mouth open charged at my hand which resulted in a little nick in the skin of my hand.
Believe me she will tell you loudly if she doesn't like what you are doing. One minute she likes her butt rubbed, the next minute she doesn't and you better watch out!
She finally calmed down from her "temper-tantrum" and went to sleep. She positioned herself with her butt in the crook of my neck and her back feet extended. All of a sudden I feel this warm wet fluid running down my neck and back; sure enough she peed on me and my pajamas. Of course I yelled out "JoeJoe you are a bad, bad pig, you naughty girl."
Me:0 JoeJoe:3

On a side note JoeJoe is a petstore pig (ashamed to say) and she has been in good health (knock on wood). I had to spend lots and lots of time with her to get her to this point. To see her progress has been rewarding and I am glad I can share JoeJoe's antics with the GL community. JoeJoe and Bean both are spoiled rotten and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of some companion cozy sacks from Marsha and the Cozy Cavy. Plus I could not resist but to also donate a bed to one of the rescues. JoeJoe, Bean and I encourage everyone to look into Marsha's donate a bed program she has going on right now. I hope that my donated bed gives a wiery, abused, tired pig some comfort and hope that they can someday call a home their own.
Thankyou!

Hello there fellow GL members! I thank whomever moved this to the Chronicle Forum..wheek, wheek!
JoeJoe and Bean have a special friend that comes to visit once or twice a day. She is a little girl (a neighbor) who has some serious medical conditions (her name and medical condition is being withheld do to her privacy and HIPPA laws) and has been seeing my girls since I got JoeJoe more than a year ago.
It all started when I had brought home JoeJoe and put her on the grass to get some sun and mow the lawn. The little girl was playing outside and out of curiousity she came into my yard and asked what was sitting in the grass. I told her she is my new friend that she was a guinea pig and her name is JoeJoe. This little girl was very shy but I could tell she wanted to pet JoeJoe, so I offered to have her give JoeJoe some slices of green pepper.
These brief visits continued and I added another friend for JoeJoe named Bean. Bean was abused, left in horrible conditions and very scared. Bean is a skittish pig but that little girl would read to Bean and JoeJoe and now Bean responds to her voice.
Now the visits are more frequent and for longer periods of time. This little girl comes over with a smile on her face and cannot wait to see what the pigs got into. She loves to read books to them, and feed them their breakfast. In the afternoon she will sit in my bathroom on the floor while JoeJoe nibbles at her toes (gently) and she encourages Bean to run around or at least step out of hidding (which is usually behind the toilet).
To make a long story short is what I have witnessed is a bond between a little girl and her furry friends that will not be broken. She looks forward to her next visit, and will talk her mom's ear off about JoeJoe and Bean. The girls health has improved greatly which has resulted in less hospitilizations and treatments.
There are lessons learned in life and this one is a good lesson. That no matter what kind of animal it is (big or small) that it has unconditional love and it does not judge; each day is a new day and all is forgiven.
My furry friends have given me the gift of comfort, compassion, love, and understanding that humans simply cannot. I suffer from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and I count on my furry friends to help me through my PTSD. I firmly believe in pet therapy and I do have a little pet therapy going on here!

Oh and I know everyone is anxious to see pictures of JoeJoe and Bean. Bean is extremely scared at the video camera and will run and hide; I will continue trying but if it stresses her out to much then I will stop for a short time. I just don't want her not to trust me as it has been a uphill battle to undo the damage of her previous owners abuse. I have full confidence that Bean will turn around and at least let me get a picture of her but she will let me know when she is ready.
Now JoeJoe on the other hand is very interested in the camera and will let me take pictures. I just have to figure out how to get the pictures posted on here; I am not computer savy so if someone would be so kind to explain how I can get the pictures posted I would appreciate it!
More adventures to follow!

Haha! I love these smart pig stories! Have you ever seen a pig actually ROLL themselves into a cuddle-cup? Bc Chex does! It's so bizarre.

Love the comment about "temperamental pigs.". They certainly are interesting. Hehe! I have to share a cuddle-cup story. Spike had one of those windspirit extra large cuddle cups w the deeper sides and the interchangeable pad inside. When he would get mad-- not getting attention/his food/vet time, he would flip the cuddle cup upside down. Onto his back. And he would "turtle" around the cage like that, eating food and such, with the cuddle cup on his back. It was the most hilarious thing!

SwtMelly- Yes it is wonderful that I can share my pigs with someone who can use some laughter and unconditional love. Athough to me sometimes they can be the most braty litttle "children" but somehow they know that they have to behave themselves when the little girl comes.
Anyway, I put JoeJoe and Bean in the bathroom for floor time while I finished up getting ready for the day. I was brushing my teeth minding my own buisness when I heard this goofy noise. I turn around and JoeJoe was by the door stopper (it has a spring in it). I asked her what she was doing and she just huffed at me; I think she was telling me to mind my own buisness. Bean was over by the toilet hidding and burring at JoeJoe. I went over by the toilet in attempt to reasure Bean then I heard that noise again, then Bean would burr in disapproval. I tried to get JoeJoe away from the door stopper but she put up such a fight that I gave in. Well I went back to finishing up brushing my teeth and that pig kept the noise going until I was getting a headache from not just the noise but Beans constant burrs of disapproval. No amount of "No" worked, neither distraction or picking her up and putting her elswhere in the bathroom helped. She was fixated at the noise, driving me batty, and scareing the crap out of Bean who is now screaming bloody murder for the nasty annoying noise to stop.
Anyway now I have a headache, JoeJoe is obviously happy with herself as she is popcorning and making happy noises, and my poor Bean is just sitting in her end of the cage giving JoeJoe the stink eye and chattering her teeth.
Me:0 and a headache JoeJoe:4 Bean:0 and traumatized

Just want to let everyone know all is well in the "piggie hood." I will take some pictures and maybe a video or two when I get my video camera back that my friend has borrowed.

I was cleaning out the cage yesterday and I had the girls in the cage while I unclipped the binder clips. Now apparently JoeJoe has been teaching Bean on how to dig at the fleece after I remove the binder clip; in fact JoeJoe sits and waits till I get the binder clip unfastened and if I am not fast enough she then will bop my hand in displeasure. Usually I remove my girls and put them in the carrier and do my thing while JoeJoe tells me to hurry up already by biting the bars of the carrier door (yes Bean has picked up JoeJoe's biting the bars behavior). Well yesterday they both decided to team up and terrorize me with digging the fleece. I tried and tried to shoo them away with my hand but they outsmarted me again and again. JoeJoe would go over to an area with no clips on the fleece and start digging while Bean was on the side that I was working on digging as I unclipped the binder clips. I would have to run on the other side of the cage to shoo JoeJoe away which resulted in more screaming and stomping and then I would have to run on the other side of the cage and shoo Bean.
Eventually I had to put them in the carrier and listen to them rattling the door and chomping at the bars. Of course when I am all done changing the cage I open the carrier door and they wouldn't come out of that darn carrier. I tried shooing them out which went over like a lead balloon, so I ended up using a piece of red pepper to get them out. I never expected that I would be so exhausted just cleaning out a cage.
It is funny that the only time they get along is when they are teaming up to terrorize me, and that is when Bean really comes out of her little shell.